Fire-escape



.(No Model.) 4 sheets-sheet 1^.

W. CAREY. PIRE ESCAPE.

No. 569,810. Patented Oct. 20, 1896-.

' W '7 v .I0 9 a 9 IEE. -Il- 4 sheets-sheet 2.

(No Model.)

W. CAREY. PIRE ESCAPE.

Patented Oct. 20, 1896.

Jizwigf 4 Sheets-Sheet 3-.

(No Model.)

W. CAREY. PIRE BSGAPB.

No. 569,8t0. Patented Oct. 2 0, 1896a (No Model.)

W. CAREY.

FIRE ESCAPE.

4 Sheets- Sheet 4.

Patented Oct. 20, 1896.

'Wiliam `brag f tion.

'UNITED STATES PATENT Ormel-3.

vXVILLIAM CAREY, OF-VIOLA, MICHIGAN.

FIRE-ESCAPE SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 569,810,dated October 20, 1896. Application led December 31, 1895. Serial No.573,921. (No model.)

To all whom vit may concern;

Be it known that I, WILLIAM CAREY, a citi'- zen of the United States,residing at Viola, in the county of Mackinac and State of Michigan, haveinvented a new and useful Fire- Escape, of which the following is aspecifica- The invention relates to improvements in fire-escapes; e

The object of the present invention is to improve the construction oflire-escapes, and to provide a portable apparatus which Will be adaptedto throw a grappling device over the top of a building in position toyengage the same-and which will form an elevator to enable persons to bequickly transferred from a burning building to thc` ground.

' Another object of the invention is to enable the apparatus to bereadily detached from a building after the fire-escape has been used.

A further object of the invention is to provide means whereby theelevator apparatus, for carrying persons and property from a building tothe ground, may be readily moved around a building in order to operatereadily in connection with any particular window. The invention consistsin the construction and novel combination and arrangement of partshereinafter fully described, illustrated in the accompanying drawings,and pointed out in the claims hereto appended.

In the drawings, Figure l is a perspective view of a portable nre-escapeapparatus constructed in accordance with this invention. Fig. 2is arearelevation of the same. Fig. 3 is a longitudinal sectional view. Fig. 4.is a transverse sectional view. Fig 5 is an-elevation illustrating themanner of anchoring the apparatus to a building. Fig. 6 is a detailperspective view of the grappling-projectile. Fig. '7 is a similar viewof the auxiliary grappling device. Fig. 8 is a detail perspective Viewof the ladder. Fig. 9 is a detail .view illustrating the manner ofremoving-the ladderfrom a building. Fig. 10 is a detail perspective viewof the V- shaped hanger.V Fig. l1 is a detail sectional Viewillustrating the manner of mounting the dogs of the grapplingprojectile. Fig. l2 is an elevation of a portion of a building,illustrating lings.

- axle.

'vation and depression of the gun.

the manner 'of mounting an elevator adapted to be transferred from onewindow to another. Figs. 13 and 14. are detail views of one of thebrackets which support the track-wire. Figs. 15 and 1G are detail viewsof tile brake for controlling the elevator.

Like numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts in all thefigures of the dralw- 1 and 2 designate front and rear axles which havecarrying-Wheels journaled on them, and the rear axle 2 is provided withdepending arms 3hinged to a platform or base 4 ofa supporting-frame. Theplatform or base of the supporting-frame is provided with a contractedand tapering front portion 5, which is pivotally connected to the frontaxle to permit the carriage or vehicle to change its direction. Thelower ends of the arms 3 are bifurcated, and are pivoted to tongues ofthe base or platform, and are arranged in opposite recesses of the rearend thereof.

The supporting-frame which forms the body of the carriage or vehicleconsists of the said platform or base 4 and a substantially rectangularsuperimposed portion G, supported at opposite sides by standards 7.andby a Wind- 6ol i lass-frame 8, which is mounted on the front The sidesof the top portion of the frame f orm supports and afford seats for thefiremen, and the front of the top portion accommodates the driver and ispivotally connected to the said windlass-frame.

A breech-loading gunt) is mounted on the rear axle, which formstrunnions for the same to permit the muzzle of the gun to be elevated tothrow a grappling projectile 10 over the roof 'of a building, and themanner of hinging the rear axle to the frame facilitates the ele- Thegun is provided With sights and has its pivoted breech-block 11 securedin its closed position by a catch 12, and mounted on the outer face ofthe breech-block is a resilient hammer 13 and a trigger 14, and thelatter is hinged at one end `to the breech-block, and is provided withan offset or shoulder to receive the hammer to hold the same drawn backpreparatory to firing., The trigger is adapted tovbe4 .swung aside torelease the hammer to dis'-- charge the gun. After the gun has beenprop- IOO erly sighted it is retained in its adjustment by a slotted'bar 9, supported at it-s lower end on the platform and passing throughan opening of a block 9b and engaged by a set-screw.

The charge of powder for firing the gun is introduced at the breech inthe usual manner, but the grappling projectile 10 is inserted at themuzzle of the gun, andis provided with pivoted spring-actuated dogsl5,extendin g ra- `as illustrated in Fig. l5. The grappling pro'-jectile is provided at its inner end with a recess 18, in which ispivoted one end of a'link 19, and the latter is provided with a dog 20,and is adapted, when the projectile is discharged from -the gun, to lielongitudinally thereof-; When the gun is loaded, the link 19 is arrangedin and projects through a slot..

2l of the gun, the slot extends inward from the muzzle of the gun and islocated at the lower side thereof, and a supplemental anchoring-bar 22is connected with the link and is provided with dogs 23. The `dogs 2Oand 23 are pivoted in recesses and are thrown out- -ward by springs 24,and their outward move'- ment is limited by shoulders of the recesses,and the recesses yof the grappling projectile 10 are also providedwithshoulders, which are engaged by the dogs 15.

The anchoring-bar is provided at its inward end with a pulley 25, aroundwhich passes a wire rope 26, and the latter is coiled on conical posts27. The conical posts 27 are mounted on lthe rear axle and are arrangedparallel with the barrel of the gun, andwhen the projectile is firedtherefrom the rope readily uncoils from the posts.4 The outer ends ofthe post are perforated for thereception of pins 28, which' prevent therope 26 from accidentally uncoiling. `f

One end of .the rope 26 is secured to the main frame of the vehicle orcarriage, and the other end of the ropeis secured to the ladder 29,which is provided at the upper ends of the sides with hooks 30, andwhich is adapted tobe drawn upward to the roof of av building and tohave its vhooks engage the same, as illustrated in Fig. 5 of 'theaccompanying drawings. After the ladder has been properly arranged inengagement with the roof of a' building a firm and secure support orhanger is afforded, and the ladder is provided with a pulley 31, t 65.

rungs of the ladder. The wire rope 32 passes arranged in a suitableblock attached to the center of one ofthe rtrated in comprising a overthe pulley of the ladder,iand has attached to it a cage 33,v which isadapted to transfer persons from. a .building to the ground. One end ofthe wire rope or cable.

32 is designed to be wound around a windlass of the apparatus, so that'the cage may .be conveniently hoisted and lowered, and, if desired', apair of cages maybe employed, as-

illustrated in Fig. 12 of the accompanying drawings, one beingsecured toeach leaf or portion of the wire rope 32". The cage and the ladder aredesigned to' be constructed of suitable metal, and the cage is providedat1 its bottom with a perforation 34, adapted to receive a pinD or stud35 of the iframe of the carriage', whereby the cage is detachablymounted thereon.

The ladder has its lowermost rung extended laterally to provide arms 36,to which may be connected ropes for steadying the ladder in guiding itto the top of the building as it is dra-wn upward by the rope 26, andcentrally connected to the lowermost rung is a wire rope 37, whichpasses over a pulleyl 38 of a substantially V-shaped the hanger areprovided at their upper' ends with teeth 40 for engaging the roof, andafter hanger 39, and the sides of the-fire has been extinguished or itis desirable to remove the ire-escape-from thg-lmilding access is had tothe roof by wayum the 1 ladder and the grappling projectile isdisengaged. YThe V-shaped'hanger is then placed in position forengagement with the roof adjacent to the ladder, which is adapted to bedrawn upward out of engagement with the roof b v mea-ns of the rope 37,as clearly illusings.

The platform is provided in advancewf the rearv axle with conical posts40, adapted to have ropes coiled around them. The'platform also hasmounted on it a'support 4l, which is provided'with ahook`42, adapted t0engage an eye 43 of the muzzle of the gun to lock the gun in ahorizontal position. The windlass-frame 8 is provided at each side witha windlass 44, and'it has forwardly# extending arms receiving awindlass. 45, and a roller 46 is' journaled on the Windlass-fraine inrear of the windlass 45. At the rear face of the windlass-frame arearranged cleats for `the attachmertof ropes.'

When two cages.. are employed, the wire rope or cable 32a base-plate 48and the lever 49, pivoted at one end in an opening or bifurcation 49a ofthe base-plate 48, and provided at its other end with an enlargement 50,forming a treadle-or foot-piece, andhaving intermediate of its ends agroove 51, adapted to receive the wire rope or cable 32a. The wire Fig.9 of the accompanying'draw is controlled by abrake 47,

IOO

'IIO

32 is arranged in grooves 52 of the base,l lo- 'cated at opposite sidesof theopening or bifurcation, 'and the brake is'preferably'secured tothe superimposed frame of the carriage at the foot piece or portionthereof in order-that it maybe readily controlled by the foot of theoperator. v

The brake will enable the -elevator to be readily'controlled, and aloaded cage may be lowered as slowly as desired to avoid injurytopersons or property.

irfther. The brackets are provided at their ons s with entrance-openingscommunicating .sith the recesses and the grooves or lVhen itis desiredto transfer the elevator from one window or portion of a building toanother portion thereof, a horizontally-disposed track wire rope orcable 53 is employed and preferably extends around the entire building,and the track wire rope orcable is supported by brackets 54, having asubstantially V-shaped upper portion 55 and provided below the same with'grooves or notches 56 for the reception of the track wire or cable 53.

These brackets are mounted on the exterior of the building at windows or-other convenient places and each is provided above the" grooves ornotches 56 with a substantially inverted-U-shaped(recessv or'opening 57,in which is arranged a horizontally-disposed shield 58. n

The shield 58 is inverted- U -shaped in crosssection and is constructedof sheet metal or other suitable material, 'and it forms a shed toprotect the track Wire`or cable from the notches, and the track wire orcable may be readily lifted out of the groove or notch of anyfone'of thebrackets and disengaged therefrom'to permit the yelevator to pass thebracket, and the wire or cable 32a passes over a lower'pulle of a hanger59. The hanger 59 is provided with upper and lower pulleys or 'mlrr' Theupper pulley or roller is arranged on the track wire or cable, and the'lower pulley or roller receives the said wire orcable 32".

The elevator may be operated either by.

means of a windlass or by hand, as may be found necessary or desirable,and the car- 'riage is preferably provided at, its top-with windlasses60 for facilitating the operation of the elevator. f

'It will be seen that the fire-escape issimple and comparativelyinexpensive in construc-A tion, that it is positive and reliable inoperation, and that it will enable the inmates of a building to bequickly removed.

Changes in the form, proportion, and minor details of construction maybe resorted to without departing from the principleA or sacricing-anyadvantages of the invention.

What I claim is- 1. In a lire-escape, the combination of aV gun providedwith a longitudinal slot extend- .inginward from the muzzle, aprojectile pro- ,vided with a pivoted linkadapted to extend throughthe-slot, and a supplemental anchoring-bar connected with the link,substantially as described.

3. In a fire-escape, the combination of a gun provided with alongitudinal slot, a grappling'prcjectile having'a recess and providedwith spring-actuated dogs, a link pivotedin the recess and adapted toextend longitudinally of the projectile, and also to project outwardfrom the slot of the gun and provided with a dog, and asupplementalanchoringbar connected with the link and4 provided with dogsand adapted to carry a rope, substantially as described.

4. Ina nre-escape, a ladder composed of sides having their upper endscurved and forming hooks for engaging a roof, and rungs or stepsconnecting the sides, the lowermost rung being extended beyond bothsides ofthe ladder and forming laterally-projecting arms 36 adapted toreceive' ropes for guiding the ladder, substantially as described.

5. Thecombination with a ladder provided with hooks for engaging laroof, of means for removingthe ladder from a roof and lower- .ing' thesame to the ground, said means comprising a substantially V-shapedhanger provided at the upper ends of .its sides with teeth fordetachably engaging a roof, a pulley arranged at the apex or lower endof the hanger, and a ,rope or cable arranged on the pulley and havingone end attached to the bottom of the ladder, substantially asdescribed.

. `6. -In a; nre-escape, the combination of a lframe, a front axleconnected therewith, a rear axle providedwith depending arms hinged tothe frame, carrying-wheels mounted on the axles a gun mountedvon therear axle,` and conical posts mounted 0n the rear axle and qarran gedsubstantially parallel, substantially as described.

,7. In a fire-escape, the combination of a frame comprising a base, atop, and posts supporting the top, a front axle pivotally connected withthe base,a windlass-frame mount-A ed on the. front axle and supportingthe top of the frame, a rear axle hinged to the platform,carrying-wheels mounted. on the axles and a gunv mounted on the rearaxle, substantially as described.

8. In a nre-escape, the combination ofa frame comprising a platform, anda top having opposite sides and provided with a front connecting thesides, a front axle, a rear axle hinged to the frame, carrying-wheelsmounted on the axles a gun mounted on the rear axle, 'and a fasteningdevice arranged at the'front of the platform and adapted to lock the gunin a horizontal position, substantially as described. 1

9. In a fire-escape, the combination of va frame, a cable carried by theframe, a baseplate having a longitudinal opening and provided withgrooves at opposite sides of the AIco IIO

opening to receive the cable, and a lever fulcrurned at one end in theopening, provided.'

intermediate of-its ends with a groove to receive the cable and havingat its other end a substantially as described.

y 10. In' a fire-escape, the combination with a track Wire or cable, ofa series of brackets provided with grooves or notches 56 receiving thetrack wire or cable., said brackets being provided above the' grooves ornotches with inverted-U,shaped recesses and having entrance-openings attheir outer-sides communicating with the recesses or grooves and thenotches, to permit the track wire or cable to be disengaged from thebracket, and a shield substantially U-shaped incross-section arranged inthe recesses ofthe brackets and disposed over the track Wire or cable,substantially as described.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereto aixed mysignature in the presence of two witnesses.

Vitn'esscs M. IIOBAN, C. W, BERTCH.

YVILLIAM CAREY.

